Chapter 69: A Tide of Warmth Surges (III)

The strong scent of cold pine filled the air as it swept toward her. Before she could react, his cold and alcoholic fragrance had filled her lips and teeth.

She was pushed down onto the soft bed beneath her, with his passionate and scorching body in front of her.

Sui Ning’s head was dizzy, her mind blank, and she could only feel the person on top of her giving her lingering kisses.

He lifted his head, his glass-like eyes soft and gentle, tracing her eyebrows and eyes with his gaze.

With her dark and watery eyes and her lips smeared with his kisses, Xie Changzhou cleaned off her makeup with his skillful techniques.

After removing her colorful makeup, her pure and beautiful face was revealed, with a blush spreading across her fair and delicate skin. She looked at him shyly.

He kissed her forehead, delicate eyebrows, and small nose, then covered her again with his long-awaited red lips, pulling her waist into his embrace.

“Xie Changzhou…” Sui Ning was so breathless from his kisses that her head was spinning, and she called out his name in a blurred voice.

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“Fwkdkdt, ol yal dso xyaakle.”

Fwk Lkdt oyp pvwddle, zssjkdt kdvs bkp oyvlau lulp.

“El yal dso xyaakle, yde usw yal xu okql.”

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“Ningning, pity me, pity me.”

Sui Ning’s face turned red and hot.

He kept kissing her, his voice muffled and pitiful, and her heart suddenly softened.

Sui Ning slowly let go of the hand holding her clothes and buried her head in his chest.

She whispered softly, “Turn off the lights.”

Xie Changzhou laughed lightly and extinguished all the lights in the room.

The curtains fell, and the room was completely plunged into darkness. Sui Ning couldn’t see Xie Changzhou, but she could feel his skin gradually getting hot and his breathing becoming heavy.

He forgot to tell Sui Ning that he had the cultivation of crossing the tribulation and that his senses were superior to ordinary people’s. He could see clearly even in the dark of the night.

When she cried out in pain, Xie Changzhou suddenly kissed her and gently kissed away the tears on her cheeks, blocking her cries between his lips.

She was the person he had dreamed of for tens of thousands of years.

His Sui Ning

The hanging curtains swayed gently as the wind blew, and the room was filled with the pleasant sound of silver bells.

The pear blossoms in the courtyard fell, and the strong wind swept up layers of fallen flowers on the ground.

It was all absurd.

Outside of the Wenjian Peak, Ah Yan’s round and tender face was wrinkled, his small mouth pouting in apparent distress.

Lu Guan held his hand and sighed as he looked at the barrier in front of him.

Ah Yan asked in a childish voice, “Elder, it’s been three days. Why won’t my master let me in?”

He was taken away by Elder Lu Guan and came back that night only to find out that his master had set up a barrier around Wenjian Peak. But even after three days, his master still wouldn’t let him in.

Lu Guan’s face suddenly looked embarrassed, and he avoided eye contact with Ah Yan, stuttering, “Jianzun has his own matters to attend to.”

Ah Yan asked in confusion, “What matters does my master have?”

Lu Guan thought to himself, “What else could it be? He’s probably making a little master for you!”

He looked towards Wenjian Peak with complex emotions on his face.

Jianzun had been indifferent and uninterested for over three hundred years, just like those bald donkeys from the Jing Chan Sect. Everyone thought that he would remain celibate for life.

But who would have thought that he would suddenly become active again, like a withered tree sprouting new life in spring?

Lu Guan sighed, realizing that young people’s bodies really were different.

Inside Wenjian Peak, the courtyard was quiet, and the ground was covered with pear blossoms. It had been several days since anyone had cleaned, and a layer of dust had settled on the stone table under the tree.

The room was filled with the scent of passion, and red and white clothes were scattered on the floor, piled on top of each other.

Sui Ning lay weakly on the pillow, her fair face flushed and feverish, fine beads of sweat dampening her disheveled hair and scattering across her face.

Xie Changzhou’s slender fingers lightly massaged her waist as he propped himself up on his arm, gazing at her intently. His expression was suffused with lingering affection, his demeanor enchanting, and a gentle smile played at the corners of his lips.

“Sui Ning, are you feeling better? “His voice was husky and warm. Sui Ning, who was resting with her eyes closed, stiffened at her back and tightly closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

It had only been a short rest.

“Heh.”

A helpless chuckle came from behind, accompanied by a cool fragrance that wafted over. Delicate kisses peppered her back.

He repeatedly pressed light kisses along her spine, until Sui Ning couldn’t hold back any longer and turned around to stop him. “Xie Changzhou!”

Xie Changzhou chuckled softly. “Not pretending anymore?”

He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. Sui Ning’s hand was held by him, preventing the words she hadn’t spoken from escaping.

Over these three days, he had become rather familiar with her body, easily leading her consciousness into a hazy void.

In her semi-conscious state, Sui Ning felt herself being cradled against him. He murmured in her ear.

“Change positions.”

She lacked the strength to argue, so she simply hugged him tightly and buried her head in the crook of his neck.

Hot tears fell onto his shoulder, and Xie Changzhou’s gaze grew even deeper and more distant. The hand around her waist tightened further.

***

On the fifth day, the barrier around Wenjian Peak finally opened.

A gleam appeared in Ah Yan’s eyes, and he tugged at Lu Guan’s hand, ready to rush in.

Lu Guan hastily held him back. “Hey, my little ancestor, let’s not go in right now.”

Ah Yan stared with his round eyes and asked in a huff, “Why?”

Lu Guan’s lips moved, unsure of how to approach the topic with him.

Because your master just messaged me and asked me to hold you back from going in!

He bent down and rubbed Ah Yan’s furry head, soothing him in a soft voice. “Because his matters haven’t been settled yet. He’ll come find you later.”

Ah Yan furrowed his brows, but Lüguan held onto him firmly, leaving him no choice but to relent in his frustration.

He could only sit back down, his round little face pouting.

Lu Guan sat next to him, patiently coaxing this little ancestor.

The fragrance in the room continued to waft gently.

Sui Ning was brought back to the bed by Xie Changzhou from the window. She felt completely drained, unable to even open her eyes.

Xie Changzhou gently kissed her and used a cleansing spell to remove the sweat from her body, gently massaging her waist.

She misunderstood something. Too weak to resist his touch, her soft voice sounded hoarse and tearful. “Xie Changzhou, I want to sleep.

Her eyelashes drooped, her weariness evident all over her face and impossible to conceal.

Xie Changzhou chuckled softly, leaning down to lightly kiss her forehead.

He brushed aside the disheveled strands of hair on her forehead, his voice hoarse and deep. “Sleep, Sui Ning. You’ve worked hard.”

He gently patted Sui Ning’s back, and she drifted into a deep slumber in his embrace.

His eyes held a softness, his heart was a complete mess of tenderness, and his brimming affection almost seemed on the verge of overflowing.

After gazing for an unknown period, he gently withdrew his arm from beneath Sui Ning’s neck, covered her with a thin blanket, and rose to retrieve his clothes from the Qiankun Bag.

Xie Changzhou picked up the scattered wedding attire from the floor, used a cleaning spell to wash it, and then carefully placed it inside the Qiankun Bag.

These were the bridal clothes he had personally made for Sui Ning, worth preserving for a lifetime.

On the green steps in front of Wenjian Peak sat a big and a small figure. Ah Yan hugged his knees, pouting with a round and tender face. Lu Guan sat beside him, his expression filled with helplessness, his voice soft as if coaxing the little one.

Upon hearing a sound from behind, Lu Guan turned around. “Jianzun?”

Ah Yan’s emotions suddenly dissipated, and he quickly turned his head, his brows relaxing. “Master!”

He pounced toward Xie Changzhou, tightly hugging his waist and burying his little face in his clothes, tears wetting his garments.

“Master, you left me outside for five days. Do you not want me anymore?”

His master had never been this cold to him. Since coming back from Cangwu Mountain, he had changed as if becoming a different person—distant, difficult to approach, and far less caring and patient with him than before.

He even hesitated to show up in front of Xie Changzhou.

Xie Changzhou’s gaze remained calm. He gently patted Ah Yan’s furry head and then pulled him out of his embrace, using his slender fingers to wipe away the tears from his face.

He spoke softly: “I haven’t stopped wanting you. Recently… there are some things I need to take care of.”

Ah Yan, with a childish and innocent tone, asked, “Master, what exactly are you so busy with?”

His innocent question caused Lu Guan, who was behind them, to chuckle.

Xie Changzhou’s hand paused, his expression somewhat frozen. He raised his eyes to look at him.

Lu Guan: “…”

He decisively suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth and approached, taking Ah Yan’s small hand. “Miss Sui Ning was injured and unwell due to a mishap on Cangwu Mountain. Jianzun is… tending to her recovery.”

As he spoke, he felt a bit guilty, and his volume unintentionally lowered. His expression became complicated and awkward.

However, Ah Yan was still a youngster and naturally couldn’t grasp his implications. Taking it at face value, his round eyes showed a hint of concern. “Master, is Miss Sui Ning better now?”

Xie Changzhou’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly nodded. “She’s mostly recovered. Rest is all she needs.”

He reached out and gently rubbed Ah Yan’s head, quickly diverting the little one’s attention away from his own situation.

Lu Guan looked at Xie Changzhou, his expression somewhat conflicted and hesitant.

Xie Changzhou’s voice was calm. “Elder, if you have something to say, go ahead.”

Lu Guan hesitated for a moment, sighed softly, and reluctantly began, “The Changming Sword Sect and the Piao Miao Sect have come knocking at our door.”

They had approached three days ago, but Xie Changzhou hadn’t come out all this time, and communication was impossible.

The reason for their visit was, of course, related to Sui Ning. Even though those in the Limitless Sword Sect believed in Sui Ning’s innocence, Lu Guan understood her character and knew she was incapable of such actions.

However, rumors had a way of spreading, and now the outside world was full of stories about Sui Ning.

Xie Changzhou’s expression remained neutral, but his lips pressed slightly downward, and a coldness emanated from his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes.

“I see. Thank you for informing me.”

He summoned Du Wang, walked past Lüguan without looking back, and disappeared in an instant.

Lu Guan, worried that this ancestor might stir up something, hurriedly pulled Ah Yan along.

The hall of Mingjing still bore the decorations of vibrant red wedding scrolls and scarlet silk. Outside the long steps, members of the Changming Sword Sect and the Piao Miao Sect stood. Xie Changzhou paid them no heed, flying directly into the hall.

Under the central seat in the hall, people were seated on both sides. Several peak masters of the Limitless Sword Sect sat on one side, their faces full of concern as they looked at those seated opposite.

On the other side, seated were Ji Yu, the Second Master of the Changming Sword Sect, and Guan Chuan, the Third Elder of the Piao Miao Sect. Both had a cold demeanor, leaning back in their chairs and disdainfully eyeing the peak masters seated across from them.

When Xie Changzhou entered, it was evident from Fuling and the others that they breathed a sigh of relief. For the past three days, they have been locking horns with their counterparts across from them. No matter how much they pleaded or argued, Ji Yu and Guan Chuan remained unyielding, demanding Xie Changzhou provide an explanation and hand over Sui Ning to them for judgment.

Ji Yu and Guan Chuan looked towards the entrance as they heard movement. Xie Changzhou, tall and upright, was unexpectedly not wearing the robes of the Limitless Sword Sect. Instead, he adorned himself in a simple and elegant white robe, giving off an air of refinement like a scion of a noble family.

His emotions were inscrutable, and his demeanor was still as indifferent as before.

Ji Yu and Guan Chuan unconsciously breathed easier. It seemed the rumors from the outside world didn’t hold true. Xie Changzhou hadn’t changed at all; he was still the same as before.

Since he hadn’t changed, the conversation would be more manageable. The Xie Changzhou of old was always righteous and selfless, and he would surely provide an explanation for the sake of harmony within the sect.

Ji Yu rose from his seat and approached Xie Changzhou, purposefully adopting a solemn expression. He bowed slightly. “Jianzun, the reason I and Elder Guan have come here is in regards to the rumors circulating outside. The sect master of the Changming Sword Sect has fallen, and Elder Guan Chuan of the Piao Miao Sect has also passed away. Shouldn’t Jianzun offer an explanation?”

Guan Chuan also stepped forward, standing beside Ji Yu, his eyebrows betraying restrained anger. “Swordmaster, our senior elder from the Piao Miao Sect fell at the hands of Sui Ning. Shouldn’t Jianzun give us an account?”

Xie Changzhou arched an eyebrow and asked in a soft voice, “What do the two of you wish for me to account for?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Ji Yu’s lips. Indeed, Xie Changzhou was still this foolishly benevolent. For the sake of sect harmony, he was willing to hand over his wife.

His voice suddenly raised and echoed in the silent and spacious hall: “Jianzun, hand over that demon girl Sui Ning and bring her to justice–“

Before he could finish speaking, the person in front of him suddenly turned cold and gloomy. Then a powerful surge of spiritual energy directly hit him, slamming him into the big pillar in the hall and causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Guan Chuan and several peak masters were frightened, and Lu Guan, who had just arrived, almost kneeled down to this ancestor. He was only a little late, but he almost killed the second master of the Changming Sword Sect.

Ji Yu struggled to get up, but he couldn’t even move. His chest surged with blood, and he kept coughing it up.

“Brother Ji!”

Guan Chuan quickly came to his side to help him up and heal his injuries with spiritual energy.

As he explored Ji Yu’s body with his true energy, his heart sank. Ji Yu’s meridians were almost shattered by Xie Changzhou’s palm strike. Xie Changzhou had really intended to kill him.

But how could Ji Yu, who was already in the mid-stage of the Mahayana, almost be killed by Xie Changzhou’s palm strike?

He looked in astonishment at Xie Changzhou outside the hall.

Xie Changzhou’s expression was indifferent; his eyebrows and eyes were filled with coldness. The pressure he had just released had not yet dissipated, and his black hair was flying behind him, emitting a faint glow.

The crimson color in Xie Changzhou’s eyes deepened, and although his expression was calm, it inexplicably made him feel trembling and send shivers down his spine.

Xie Changzhou walked slowly towards them with a calm pace that felt like he was stepping on his heart, making his scalp numb.

“Demon girl?”

“Justice on the spot?”

“You think you can do that?”

He finally reached their side, and Ji Yu’s eyes widened in shock and fear.

He was wrong; how could he think that the rumors outside were false?

Xie Changzhou has indeed changed. He’s like a completely different person—cold and terrifying. He even wants to control everything.

Guan Chuan’s throat tightened as he restrained the fear rising in his heart. His voice trembled as he asked, “Jianzun, what do you mean?”

Xie Changzhou looked down on them coldly with a smile on his lips. “I told you that Guan Liuzhuo was killed by Ji Zhiwu and that Ningning did not collude with the demon clan. Don’t you believe me?”

“Then fight until you believe me.”

His words were careless, and he was never so arrogant before.

Guan Chuan hesitated before speaking. “Jianzun…”

Xie Changzhou stepped forward in front of him, and the faint cold fragrance on his body drifted into his nose from the wind blowing in from outside the hall. It made his heart tremble.

For the first time in his life, Guan Chuan felt like the world was going crazy.

Xie Changzhou, who had led them to conquer and protect the world of cultivation with selflessness and kindness as the White Jade Sword Saint, had become…like a demon.

He gave them a feeling that surpassed even Shen Jie’s.

Xie Changzhou looked at Ji Yu, who was coughing up blood. “Ji Zhiwu’s cultivation was stolen, and Ji Bai’s death was suspicious. Why did the Changming Sword Sect let a thief become the sect master for a hundred years?”

His gaze then turned to Guan Chuan, and he said coldly, “Guan Liuzhuo died at the hands of Ji Zhiwu. Whether you believe it or not, Sui Ning did not kill him.”

“She saved Shen Jie because of me.”

He looked down at them, his crimson eyes deep and dark. “If you don’t believe me and want to take her life, then come and fight.”

Guan Chuan held onto the heavily injured Ji Yu, his eyes trembling as he looked at Xie Changzhou.

He had made up his mind to protect Sui Ning. Ji Yu’s lips trembled as he spoke, “You, you are too…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Xie Changzhou’s eyes suddenly turned cold as he drew his sword to block the unknown object that flew in from outside the hall.

Lu Guan was taken aback, then exclaimed in disbelief, “Demonic energy?”

A strangely shaped black stone floated in the air, emitting a faint demonic energy. It was powerful and eerie, and its aura was familiar.

It was the demon shadow stone sent by Shen Jie.

Xie Changzhou’s eyes were filled with a chill. “Demon Shadow Stone.”

It was a priceless demon shadow stone from the demon realm, and Shen Jie was quite generous.

The faces of Lu Guan and his companions suddenly turned dark, and they turned to leave, but Xie Changzhou stopped them with a calm voice, saying, “He has already left. There is no need to chase after him.”

Lu Guan froze for a moment, feeling uneasy. Shen Jie dared to come to the Limitless Sword Sect in person, and they had not even noticed.

Even if they hadn’t noticed, Xie Changzhou shouldn’t have missed his aura.

He suddenly looked up at Xie Changzhou, who had a calm expression and looked at the demon shadow stone without surprise.

He realized that Xie Changzhou had known when Shen Jie came with the demon shadow stone.

But he didn’t stop him?  Xie Changzhou looked at Guan Chuan and Ji Yu on the ground with a mocking smile, as if lost in thought. He didn’t say a word to them, turned around, and walked towards the outside of the hall, controlling the demon shadow stone in the void to follow his steps. 

Outside the Mingjing Hall, disciples from the Changming Sword Sect and the Piao Miao Sect stood guard, watching Xie Changzhou on the high platform. Xie Changzhou stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back, and the demon shadow stone flew up into the air from his body. 

A burst of light flashed, and then a shocking image appeared in the void, causing the disciples to gasp in shock. Ji Zhiwu had a smile on his face and whispered to the person in front of him, “As long as you release the beast, I will help you conquer it. With the help of the beast, no one will dare to say that you are not as good as your brother, You Ruoming.” 

The scene shifted again, and Ji Zhiwu’s white face was stained with blood. He wiped the blood off his sword casually and looked down at the person on the ground with a cold gaze. He said softly, “Tsk, do you want to stop me from releasing the beast?” 

He slowly threw the bloody handkerchief on the face of the dying person on the ground and turned away, saying calmly, “Your cultivation is mine; your position as the head of your sect is mine; sooner or later, half of this world will be mine too.” 

Next, it was time on Cangwu Mountain. Ji Zhiwu and Guan Liuzhuo were seriously injured and struggled to climb into a cave to escape the snowstorm. After Guan Liuzhuo’s condition improved significantly, he turned to Ji Zhiwu eagerly and said, “Master Ji, I will do it for you–“

His words were drowned out in a sea of blood. Ji Zhiwu’s hand reached into his dantian, and from within, he extracted a blood-drenched, round, and crystal-clear golden core. Emitting a vigorous and majestic aura, the golden core lay quietly in his palm, with fresh red droplets of blood falling from it.

Blood streaks trickled from the corners of Guan Liuzhuo’s mouth. His lips quivered as he stammered, “Wh- why…”

He collapsed weakly, his eyes wide open in a perpetual state of shock.

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Ji Zhiwu’s lips, and his gaze toward the golden core held an eerie and maniacal look.

As the scene reached its conclusion, the demon shadow stone fell from the void, landing on the ground with a crisp sound.

The once-silent disciples suddenly erupted into chaos, disbelief etched on everyone’s faces.

Jianzun’s words had indeed been accurate.

Guan Liuzhuo had truly been killed by Ji Zhiwu, all for the sake of the golden core!

Even… Ji Bai, the former sect master of the Changming Sword Sect, had met his end at Ji Zhiwu’s hands!

Xie Changzhou’s chin lifted slightly, his expression still calm. “This matter has nothing to do with Sui Ning. She is the sect master’s wife of my Limitless Sword Sect.”

The disciples of the Piao Miao Sect in the audience snapped back to their senses abruptly. It was unclear who initiated it, but the rest of the disciples joined in, clashing with those from the Changming Sword Sect.

“Ji Zhiwu killed Elder Guan. You still owe us!”

“Give us back our elder!”

Before his death, Guan Liuzhuo held a great reputation in the Piao Miao sect, and now that the truth has been revealed, it has ignited the anger of the crowd.

Inside the Mingjing Hall, Guan Chuan looked at Ji Yu in his arms, seemingly stunned and unable to believe that Ji Yu’s revered master had been a person who killed his own brother for power and harmed his allies.

Xie Changzhou coldly watched the chaos in front of the hall and left without a word. He was still waiting for Sui Ning at Wenjian Peak, and he had wasted enough time on these people.

Lu Guan and Fuling looked at each other with helplessness written on their faces. Xie Changzhou was indeed generous, leaving such a mess for them to clean up.

As they watched the situation in front of the hall become more and more intense, Lu Guan and the others quickly tried to maintain order.

***

Xie Changzhou had just returned to the Wenjian peak, and his pace suddenly quickened towards the courtyard.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Shen Jie’s message from earlier.

Shen Jie had said, “The memories in the Demon Shadow Stone are those of Ji Zhiwu that I extracted. Sui Ning has saved me twice, and I have only saved her once. This time, it can be considered a repayment. I never owe anyone a favor.”

Xie Changzhou sneered in his heart. When did Shen Jie become so kind-hearted? How could he understand the concept of repaying kindness when he was a killer who could wipe out an entire family because of a child’s words?

He remembered the look in Shen Jie’s eyes when he looked at Sui Ning.

Xie Changzhou’s deep gaze turned gloomy, and his clear and refined face grew even darker.

He finally entered the room and pushed open the door to the inner chamber, where the fragrance of incense mixed with the sweet scent emanating from Sui Ning’s body filled the air.

His cold heart suddenly softened.

Xie Changzhou walked slowly to the side of the bed, lifted the hanging curtain, and saw Sui Ning sleeping peacefully.

Her long, black eyelashes hung down like a small fan, covering her face, and her sleeping expression was serene.

He took off his outer robe, lifted the covers, and lay down beside her, embracing her in his arms.

He knew what Shen Jie was plotting, but Sui Ning belonged to him.

She belonged to him alone.

He gently pecked her soft lips, his gaze tender and affectionate.